Large bones of the human body such as, for example, the femur, humerus, ulna and tibia are occasionally broken as a result of accidents or violent actions. A simple break can be straightened, encased in an external cast and then allowed to grow back together.
A more traumatic break which separates a large bone into three or more pieces may require surgery and the insertion of plates and multiple screws to secure each piece of the bone and hold the pieces in alignment with each other while they grow back together. The plate and screws may remain in place or they may be removed at a later date. Another splint that is used for bones broken in two or more pieces has pins that pass through the skin and engage the bone pieces. These pins are then secured to an outside holder that holds the bone pieces in fixed positions relative to each other while they grow back together.
Extremely traumatic breaks in large bones may result in substantial portions of bone being lost. Such traumatic breaks can be caused, for example, by a bullet that carries bone fragments through an exit wound while causing relatively minor soft tissue damage. When substantial bone material is lost, an orthopedic surgeon has limited options. He may be able to shorten the bone somewhat, a section of bone from a donor may be added if a suitable donor bone is available, or the extremity may be amputated.
Large bones may also be damaged when an artificial joint fails and must be removed. Quite often an extremity is shortened each time a new artificial joint is implanted. Surgeons often have no alternative to shortening an arm or leg when an artificial joint fails.